Electric timepiece



May 21, 1935. L. TISSEYRE ET AL ELECTRIC TIMEPIECE Filed May 20, 1929 awe Mm- Louzl: Fsseyre lone! Coznareanu fl fl y' W Patented May 21, 1935 PATENT OFFICE ELECTRIC Louis Tisseyre and Ionel Cotnareanu,

TIMEPIEGE Paris,

France, assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to George P. Cowles, Waterbury, Conn.

Application May 20, 1929, Serial No. 364,601 In France December 22, 1928 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to electrically operated alarm clocks.

The aim of the invention is to provide an improved electric alarm clock which is characterized by its simplicity in construction, by its economy in manufacture, by its reliability and durability, and by its compactness in arrangement. To accomplish these and other objects, we provide, in accordance with the present invention, an improved arrangement wherein the clock mechanism is driven by an electric motor, and the magnetic field core for driving the armature of that motor is also employed for operating the vibratory armature for effecting the alarm.

In the accompanying drawing,

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of one form of construction which the present invention may take;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an alternative form of the alarm let-off mechanism.

Referring to the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, the clockwork is mounted in a casing a-b. This clockwork may be of any suitable type and is not, therefore, illustrated in detail in the drawing. The driving mechanism. for the clockwork consists of an electric motor having, in the present instance, a rotary armature or cylinder 0 which rotates between the poles of a core d of an electro-magnet. About the core at is a coil d connected to the current means or leads 50 and 5i, as hereinafter described more in detail. One of the poles of the core is provided with a shading ring or coil e so as to produce a rotating field. The rotary armature is fixed to a spindle f supported in suitable bearings and having a worm 52 meshing with a worm wheel g which, through the medium of suitable gearing, drives the shaft h to which the mainspring of the clockwork may be secured. The core of the electro-magnet may be provided with an extension or supplemental pole member 7' provided with a shading coil m and adapted to attract, by means of leakage flux, the blade or armature Z of the alarm device. Carried by the vibratory armature Z is a striker knob 53 adapted to engage the bell k. The ends of the shading coil m are respectively connected to the contacts or terminals. and 55 of a switch n. The terminal 54 is normally urged towards, and is adapted to be moved out of engagement with, the terminal 55. It is to be understood that, when the switch n is closed, the pole piece 7' and shading coil m constitue a magnetic field which exerts more or less of a uniform attraction on the vibrating armature 'so'that the vibrating armature is prevented from vibrating. This magnetic pull efiect is the resultant of the fiux in the unshaded portion of the field extension 7' and the flux in the adjoining shaded portion of said extension made to lag in phase by the shading coil m in such a manner that the total magnetic pull at no time, when coil m is efiective, approaches closely or becomes zero. There is no need to describe this principle at great length since it is old and well known in the electrical art, being practically the same as that embodied on commercial alter- 10 nating current relays to prevent chattering or vibration of their armatures during closed circuit periods. Connected to the blade Z is a vibrating spring 56 adapted to contact with an adjustable screw 51. 15

An operating cam 11 provided with a clip 1' and movable about a shaft q permits of determining the movement at which the release of the signalling system should be effectcd. The cam p is adjustable relative to the switch n, and its position of adjustment may be determined by a pointer u. A stop s, suitably secured to the casing and sliding or rolling normally on the periphery of the cam, opens the switch n when said stop falls into said dip r. The stop is normally urged towards the cam, and when the stop falls into the dip it engages the contact 54, thereby opening the switch n. The stop s is connected by a conductor 58 to one end of the main coil (1'. The other end of the coil is connected to the main 50 by a conductor 59 in which may be interposed a switch 12. The other circuit main or lead 5| is electrically connected by a conductor 60 to the cam p. The vibrating armature Z is connected to the conductor 58 by a branch wire 62, and the screw 51 is connected to the conductor 60 by a branch 63. At the bottom of the dip 1' is an insulating sector t against which the projecting portion of the stop s is adapted to engage when the stop moves into the dip.

The general operation of the device shown in Fig. 1 is as follows:

During the normal operation of the clockwork, current will flow from the main 5| through conductor 60, cam p stops s, conductor 58, and coil d to the conductor main 50, and as the coil d is energized, the rotary armature or disk 0 is driven. During such time that the alarm is not ringing, the switch n is closed; vibratory armature l is drawn and held down by the magnetic field resultant from pole piece 7' and coil m; and the spring 56 is, by preference, then slightly spaced from the screw 51, as shown in Fig. 1. At the selected time, the cam having rotated to apredetermined position, the stop s will fall into the III) clip 1' and engage the contact 54 so as to open the switch 7L, thereby opening the circuit through the shading coil m so that this shading coil is no longer efiective and its associated pole pieces will no longer attract and hold the vibratory armature down. From what has been said before, it is clear that the total magnetic pull now becomes zero periodically, since there is no longer a lagging field component and the total flux varies through zero with the same frequency as the current in coil d. The vibratory armature will now operate on the same principle as an electric bell. When the vibratory armature swings up, the spring 56 will engage the screw 51 and then the current will momentarily flow from the main through the branch wire 63, screw 51, spring 56, vibratory armature l, branch wire 62, conductor 58, coil 11', conductor 59, to the main lead 50, the flow of current through the cam p from the conductor 60 to the conductor 58 being interrupted because of the engagement of the stop against the insulating sector t. When the current thus flows through the coil (1' the vibratory armature is momentarily drawn down so as to break the contact between the spring 56 and the screw and thereby interrupt the flow of current through the coil 1 so that the vibratory armature will again spring up. The vibratory armature will continue to vibrate until the cam has moved to such position that the stop has been withdrawn from the contact 54, whereuponthe switch n is closed and the circuit through the shading coil m is closed, and the vibratory armature will be held down. It is noted that the electro-magnetic means comprising the core d and the coil (1' is common to both the armature for driving the clockwork and the vibratory alarm armature. If desired, a condenser :c may be interposed across the ends of the coil d, so as to prevent arcing during the operation of the alarm.

The spring 56 and the contact or screw 51 may be omitted if there is adopted, as the frequency of the vibratory armature, the frequency of the alternating supply current. In such instance, the conductor 56 may be directly connected to thelead 5|; the circuit of the coil d is not provided with any cut-out or interruptions; the electro-magnet d remains constantly energized, and the vibration of the vibrating armature Z is effected by the pulsations of the alternating fieldproduced by the coil d and the core (1. It further may be men-. tioned that the electric motor may be equally well applied to an arrangement wherein the rotary armature is connected directly to the clockwork through suitable reducing gears, thus enabling the winding spring to be omitted.

Referring now to the device .of the invention disclosed in Fig. 2, the numeral I designates a cam wheel driven by the clockworks and rotatably mounted upon a shaft q journaled in the plates of the clock frame. The shaft q is provided with a pin 35, and the wheel I is provided with a cam 36 adapted to cooperate in the usual manner with the pin. The cam wheel isnormally urged forwardly on the shaft; that is, towards the pin, by a spring 2. The numeral 4 designates a friction spring on the other end of the shaft. The hub of the cam wheel I is provided with a'i groove 5 in which engage the branches 6 of a lever 1 pivoted on a pin or shaft 8 secured to cars bentv up from one of the plates of the apparatus. The lower end of the pivoted lever 1 carries a release lever 9 capable of pivoting at I 0 in a plane at right angles to the plane of pivoting of, the lever 1. One end of the lever 9 is provided with a secpivot in the direction of the I9 while the pin 35 is 1 the arm I3 of the lever 9 being tor I I having a toothed or striated surface adapted to be brought into contact with a conical pinion I2 rotated by the clockwork movement in the direction of the arrow B. The lever 9 has an arm or end I3 adapted to cooperate with a stop or arm I6 secured to, but insulated from, an elastic blade I4. The stop member or arm I6 has alower edge I1 which is inclined as illustrated. .A return spring I8 normally tends to cause the lever 9 to arrow A. The upper end of the blade is adapted to engage a contact riding on the high portion of the cam 36. The blade I4 and the contact I9 constitute a switch similar to the switch 11. of the device of Fig. 1 and serving a like purpose. Carried by the elastic blade I4 is a forwardly extending projection 22 having an inclined edge adapted to engage the vibratory armature Z and mechanically hold it against vibration when the blade is in its foremost position; that is, when the blade is engaging the contact I9. In order to avoid daily automatic repetition of the alarm, the lever 9 may be provided with an arm 31 having a button 20, and the framework or casing of the clockis provided with a groove or recess 2| in which the arm 31 may be engaged.

The operation of the mechanism shown in Fig. 2 is briefly as follows: The cam wheel I is continuously driven by the clock mechanism, and the shaft q is adjusted so as to bring the pin 35 to a predetermined position depending on the time at which it is desired that the alarm operate. While the pin is ridingon the high portion of the cam, the lower end of the lever 1 is in advance position, and the arm- I3 of the lever 9 is in front of, but in spaced relation to, the stop member I6. The elastic blade I4 is in its advanced position so that the blade I4 and the contact I9 are in engagement, and the projection 22 overlies the vibratory armature Z whereby the latter is held against vibration. When the cam has been rotated to a position where the pin is opposite the dip of the cam, the cam moves forwardly under the influence of the spring 2, thereby causing the lever 1 to pivot in the direction of the arrow I5. When this lever so pivots, the arm I3 of the lever 9 pushes the blade I4 backwardly, the extent of such movement being limited by the stop 34. When the blade I 4 is thus moved back, it is moved out of engagement with the contact I9, and the projection 22 is withdrawn from the armature Z so that the latter may vibrate to sound the alarm. Also, upon such movement of the lever 1, the sector II is applied against the pinion I2, resulting in lowered to a position where its upper edge will engage the inclined edge I1 of the stop. The blade I4, due to its elasticity, will now spring forwardly to a position where it engages the contact I9, and the projection 22 engages the vibratory armature causing the signal to stop. By reason of theinclined edge I1 acting on the arm I3, upon return of the blade to its normal position, the sector II is raised clear of contact with the conical pinion I2. Upon continued rotation of the cam wheel, the pin forces the cam rearwardly so that the lower end of the lever 1 is advanced, and when the arm I3 rides out of engagement with the inclined edge I1, the lever 9, under the action of the return spring I8, returns to its initial position in which the sector I I is separated from the face of the conical pinion I2.

What we claim is:-

1. In an electric alarm clock, time-indicating means, a field core, a rotary armature energized by said core for operating said time-indicating means, a vibratory armature independently energized by said core and adapted to operate at a predetermined time, and mechanism operatively connected to said time-indicating means for controlling the operation of said vibratory armature.

2. A closed circuit electric alarm clock comprising clock mechanism, a rotary armature for operating said clock mechanism, an auxiliary element, a vibratory armature for actuating said auxiliary element, electromagnetic means for producing magnetic flux common to said armatures, and mechanism connected with said clock mechanism for controlling the operation of said vibratory armature.

3. In a timing device, a clock mechanism, a rotary armature for actuating said clock mechanism, an auxiliary element, a vibratory armature for actuating said auxiliary element, a magnetic field core common to both of said armatures for simultaneously energizing them, and means operated by said clock mechanism for controlling the operation 01 said vibratory armature.

4. In an alternating current electrical timing device, timing mechanism, a rotary armature for actuating said timing mechanism, an auxiliary element, a vibratory armature for actuating said auxiliary element, electromagnetic means for jointly energizing said armatures, and means controlled by said timing mechanism for controlling the operation of said vibratory armature.

5. In a timing device, clock mechanism, a rotary armature tor actuating said clock mecha-- nism, a vibratory armature, electromagnetic energizing means common to said armaturea, and mechanism operated by said clock m for controlling the operation of said vibratory armature.

6. In an electrical timing devioe,.a rotary ar- 7 mature, a vibratory armature, a common field core for energizing said armatures, electrical means for energizing said fleld core, time-indicating mechanism connected to one of said armatures, an auxiliary mechanism, and means controlled by the operation of said time-indicating mechanism and adapted to engage the other of said armatures for actuating said auxiliary mechanism.

7. In an electrical timing device, a rotary armature, a vibratory armature, means for magnetically energizing both of said armatures jointly, time-indicating mechanism driven by said rotary armature, auxiliary mechanism driven by said vibratory armature, means for restraining said vibratory armature, and means operated by said time-indicating mechanism for releasing said restraining means.

8. In an electric alarm clock, a clock mechanism, an alternating current electric motor having a magnetic field core and an armature operated thereby and operatively connected to the clock mechanism for driving the latter, a vibratory armature energized by said core and adapted to operate at a predetermined time, and mechanism operatively connected to said clock mechanism for controlling the operation of said vibratory armature.

LOUIS TISSEYRE. IONEL COTNAREANU. 

